Apparatus and process for continuously winding yarn



Sept. 19, 1967 J. l. SMILEY, JR 3,342,428

APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR CONTINUOUSLY WINDING YARN Filed March 22, 1965 3 Sheets$heet l INVENTOR 11mm IRVINE SI'IILH, J76. BY Wm 77 Sept. 19, 1967 J. SMILEY, JR 3,342,428

APPAhATUS AND PROCESS FOR CONTINUOUSLY WINDING YARN Filed March 22, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR mm I7H///V mum.

BY WW7? Sept. 19, 1967 J NH JR 3,342,428

APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR CONTINUOUSLY WINDING YARN Filed March 22, 1965 3 heets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR JIMES I RW/Y' SMILE), TK-

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United States Patent 3,342,428 APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR CONTINUOUSLY WINDING YARN James Irvine Smiley, Jr., Waynesboro, Va., assignor to E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington,

Del., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 441,431 2 Claims. (Cl. 242-18) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus and process for continuously winding yarn. A pair of chucks carrying yarn packages are arranged so that one is in windup position while the other is in dofi'ing position and their positions can be reversed upon completion of the packages on one of the chucks. Throughout the major portion of winding the operation is controlled by traverse guide means. However, when empty packages are first rotated into windup position the yarn is released for a short period of time from the traverse guide means and is wound onto the packages in a narrow band in order to quickly cover the loose end.

This invention relates to an improvement in continuous yarn windup apparatus and particularly to a device for eliminating the yarn loop that is customarily formed when winding is initiated on a fresh bobbin in a continuous winding operation.

In present-day fiber manufacturing operations, it is customary to carry out the winding operation at high speed and in a continuous manner. Various forms of apparatus have been developed and described in the art for this purpose, all of them having the same general sequence of operations. When winding of a yarn package to the desired size has been completed, the package is removed from the winding position automatically or semiautomatically and an empty bobbin moved into the winding position. Simultaneously, the threadline is cut, broken, or otherwise severed, and directed to the empty bobbin where winding immediately begins. In this way, costly interruptions of the winding operation and consequent high waste factors are avoided.

It is also characteristic of the textile yarn industry today that the yarn packages produced on the windup at the fiber spinning machine are shipped directly to the customer. Thus, any defects present in the as-spun package will be present as a potential source of difliculty in the customers operations. The same diificulties will, of course, be troublesome if the yarn packages are backwound or otherwise further handled at the manufacturing plant before shipment.

One such defect has been encountered in yarn packages produced by continuous winding equipment of the kind generally described above. It is, of course, well known in the art to reciprocably traverse the yarn in the course of winding for proper package formation. When a yarn so traversed is transferred from a completed package to an empty bobbin in the manner outlined, the leading end or loop of the yarn will not be securely anchored in the package until an appreciable number of traverse strokes have been completed. In some instances, depending on the diameter of the yarn bobbin, the length of the traverse stroke, the frequency of traverse, and other details of the specific equipment involved, the free yarn end or loop may be as much as 6 inches long and may not be completely buried until the package winding on the bobbin has reached a depth of A in. or more. While this presents no problem in the winding operation, it has presented problems of great concern to users of the packages. As yarn is unwound from the package, the free end or loop 3,342,428 Patented Sept. 19, 1967 is eventually uncovered. As unwinding proceeds, of course, the exposed length of the free end becomes longer. Particularly when the unwinding operation is conducted at high speed, the free inner end or loop of yarn can become entangled with the running threadline and cause breaks. In many textile mill operations, it is standard practice when a break occurs to replace the partial package with a new, full package. The appreciable amount of yarn remaining on the partially-used package is consigned to waste with a consequent increase in cost to the user of the yarn.

The present invention is directed to a process and means for eliminating this package defect by insuring simply and eifectively that the leading yarn end or loop on a new bobbin will be quickly and completely covered. The invention further provides that this result may be accomplished automatically in the course of a continuous winding operation. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description hereinafter.

The present invention comprises essentially the provision in a continuous winding apparatus including yarn support means on which is wound said yarn, and traverse guide means for directing the yarn onto said yarn support means, of the improvement which comprises, in combination, yarn engaging means, and actuating means for actuating said yarn engaging means from a rest position to a yarn engaging position in which said yarn is released from the control of said traverse guide means, and timing means for controlling the duration of time in which said yarn engaging means is maintained in said yarn engaging position. The actuation of said yarn engaging means into said engaging position at the time said yarn is transferred from one of said yarn support means to another of said yarn support means, and maintenance of said yarn engaging means in said engaged position for a predetermined relatively short period of time, causes said yarn to wind onto the latter of said yarn support means in a relatively narrow band within said predetermined relatively short period of time thereby insuring rapid and complete coverup of said relatively narrow band when said yarn engaging means is returned to said rest position and said yarn is returned to said traverse guide means.

This invention is further defined by the provision in a process of the improvement which comprises, in combination, releasing said yarn from the control of said traverse guide means, maintaining said yarn in such condition with respect to said traverse guide means for a predetermined relatively short period of time beginning at the moment said yarn is transferred from said first yarn support means to said second yarn support means, and thereafter returning said yarn to said traverse guide means for further winding.

By way of illustration, a specific embodiment of the invention will now be described in connection with a specific form of continuous windup apparatus. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not to be considered limited to this specific form nor its applicability limited to the particular windup apparatus described. The invention will now be discussed in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a form of continuous windup apparatus;

FIGURES 2 and 3 are diagrammatic representations of the application of the invention to the windup apparatus of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a schematic diagram of a control system for advancing the traverse defeat means of the invention at the instant of bobbin transfer and retracting the traverse defeat means at a predetermined time thereafter.

The yarn winding apparatus chosen for purposes of illustration includes a yarn delivery roll 10, a pair of windup chucks 12 and 14 which are mounted for rotation on pivot arm 16, a package drive roll 18, a traverse roll 70 in housing 74, and traverse guides 72 operably engaged with traverse roll 70. A plurality of yarns 22 are led from a spinning machine, not shown, through guides 76 to delivery roll 10, and thence to bobbins 24, 26 and 28 mounted on windup chuck 12. Bobbins 34, 36 and 38 are shown in position on windup chuck 14.

In the embodiment illustrated, pivot arm 16 is mounted on shaft 30 which is journalled in cylindrical plate 32. Plate 32 is secured to a shaft, not shown, and is free to rotate about its central axis. The eccentric relationship between shaft 30 and the central axis of plate 32 permits windup chucks 12 and 14 to be rotated from a winding to a doffing position without interrupting the winding operation.

The yarn traversing mechanism consists essentially of traverse guides 72 operably engaged by helical grooves, not shown, cut in traverse roll 70. Such devices are well known in the winding art, do not form a part of the instant invention, and will not be further described.

As shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, traverse defeat bar 60, pivotally mounted on pins at one edge, is journalled in a lug attached to traverse roll housing 74 as generally indicated at 62. Traverse defeat bar 60 is likewise pivotally attached, as shown generally at 68, to piston rod 64 of air cylinder 66. In the embodiment illustrated, as air is supplied to air cylinder 66, as shown in the figures, piston rod 64 is advanced to the right, thereby rotating traverse defeat bar 60 about the pivotal mounting 62 from the vertical position of FIGURE 2 to the horizontal position of FIG- URE 3.

The operation of the invention will now be described with reference to the diagrammatic illustrations in FIG- URES 2 and 3. In the normal winding position, yarns 22 pass through guides 76, through traverse guides 72, around drive roll 18, and are wound onto bobbins 24, 26 and 28 to form packages 13 which are positioned on windup chuck 12. During winding, pivot arm 16 is locked in position by a spring-loaded detent, not shown, resting in a cavity in plate 32. After a predetermined amount of yarn is wound onto packages 13, the operator grasps the handles 17 and 19 on windup chucks 12 and 14 and rotates pivot arm 16 in a clockwise direction bringing empty bobbins 34, 36 and 38 into contact with drive roll 18. After the empty bobbins 34, 36 and 38 are brought up to speed, full packages 13 are rotated from the winding position to the doffing position as the new packages are simultaneously rotated into winding position. The full packages 13 are slowed down, and yarns 22, which adhere to the surfaces of the new packages, are drawn around and into the nip formed between drive roll 18 and the new packages as the tension relaxes on the yarns. As the full packages 13 are rotated to the dofiing position, the shoulder of pivot arm 16 depresses the pressure release button on bleed valve 90, actuating air cylinder 66. During the interval between actuating the air cylinder 66 and transfer of the yarns to the new bobbins, traverse defeat bar 60 is advanced to the position shown in FIGURE 3. As winding begins on the new bobbins, the tension on the yarns breaks the yarns, leaving the transferred yarns in a loose condition on the new packages. Yarn guides 76 are mounted by means not shown to the frame of the spinning machine, not shown, precisely in alignment with the center of their respective bobbins. Thus, when a yarn 22 is removed from traverse guide 72 by the action of traverse defeat bar 60, the yarn will wind on the new package in a narrow band located at the center of the bobbin. In this way, the free leading end or loop of yarn on the new bobbin will be quickly covered, and traversing of the yarn will be resumed upon retraction of traverse defeat bar 60' to the position shown in FIGURE 2.

A specific embodiment of a pneumatic system for advancing and retracting the traverse defeat bar is shown schematically in FIGURE 4; other embodiments can, of course, be designed to function equivalently. Air is supplied from a source 86 to a four-way valve 88, one element of which is blocked olf and not used, as shown at 9 8. Fourway valve 88 is connected by suitable conduits to the other components of the system for operation in the manner now to be described. When air is released from bleed valve 90, by the action of the shoulder of pivot arm 16 depressing the valve, air is supplied simultaneously to air cylinder 66 (shown in section) and to valve 92. The air pressure acting against piston in cylinder 66 causes piston rod 64 to move to the right, rotating traverse defeat bar 60 around pivotal mounting 62 to the position illustrated in FIGURE 3. As shown, piston rod 64 may be pivotally journalled to piston 80 as generally indicated at 82 to allow for the angular displacement of piston rod 64 by the arcuate motion of traverse defeat bar 60 to which piston rod -64 is pivotaly journalled at 68. Piston rod 84 is provided to stabilize the movement of piston 80 Within cylin der 66. Valve 92 is a time-delay valve of a kind readily understood by those skilled in the pneumatic control art. A predetermined interval after air pressure is applied to time-delay valve 92 by the aforementioned action of bleed valve 90, time-delay valve 92 opens to allow air pressure to reach pilot actuator valve 94, which in turn causes bleed valve 96 to open, releasing air pressure from the system, including from cylinder 66. As the air pressure acting on piston 80 in cylinder 66 drops, the piston is caused to return to its rest position by a return spring, not shown, which may be of any suitable size, strength and design, and which may be mounted internally or externally of cylinder 66, these details being within the skill of those versed in the mechanical arts. The return of piston 80 to its rest position retracts piston rod 64 and restores traverse defeat bar 60 to its inactive position shown in FIGURE 2.

The traverse defeat means of this invention has been found to be totally effective in eliminating difiiculties caused by entanglement of the free yarn or loop with the yarn windings at the interior of the package. It has been possible to unwind packages down to the core at high speed with no interference of the running threadline with the free end, which is completely buried by the narrow Winding centered on the bobbin because of ternporary interruption of the traversing action. Thus, a source of considerable waste and expense either to the purchaser or to the manufacturer of the yarn has been completely eliminated.

In addition to its automatic use in the doffing cycle, the traverse defeat means of this invention has addi tional applicability during the stringing up of windup machines of the kind illustrated wherein each bobbin chuck supports a plurality of bobbins. In such machines, it is difficult to align each of the incoming threads 22 with its proper bobbin when all are subjected to the rapid action of traversing guides 72. When traverse defeat bar 60 is brought into play, the yarn ends 22 can be readily separated to their proper positions with respect to the drive roll 18 and bobbins 24, 26 and 28. Once the yarns are in position, traversing is restored.

While the traverse defeat means has been illustrated in connection with chucks supporting a plurality of bobbins, it will be apparent that the principal objective, namely, elimination of free yarn ends or loops at the core of the package, will be equally well achieved on continuous windup apparatus wherein each chuck supports only one bobbin, and the invention is to be considered as applicable to apparatus of that description. Likewise, while a pneumatic control system has been illustrated, it should be understood that activation of the traverse defeat mechanism may be accomplished by electrical, mechanical, manual, or other means. The important element is only that the mechanism be brought into play at the instant of transfer of the threadline from the completed package to the empty bobbin. The timing means for maintenance of the traverse defeat bar or yarn engaging element in its yarn engaging position may be manual, automatic, or pneumatic. Manual timing means has proved successful even though rather precise timing is necessary. Further, while the yarn engaging means has been illustrated as a bar pivotally mounted at one edge, it will be apparent that other forms may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in place of a bar, a cylindrical rod could be so mounted that either reciprocal or radial motion would bring it into the path of the yarn in such a Way as to deflect the yarn out of the traverse guides. It will also be apparent that the yarn engaging or traverse defeat means may be so constructed as to cooperate with other elements of the windup apparatus. For example, in the embodiment shown, a single bleed valve 90 may be used to actuate both the traverse defeat means of this invention and the drive roll shield described in United States Patent 3,165,274 to De Priest. Elements 20, 40, 42, 44, 46, 50, 52, and 56 in FIGURE 1 make up the drive roll shield mechanism; since this mechanism forms no part of this invention and since it is fully described in said De Priest patent it need not be described herein. Likewise, it is apparent that the form, dimensions and placement of component parts of the apparatus of this invention may be varied, depending on the type of yarn being wound, the number of bobbins to be placed on the windup chucks, as well as other features. Since these and other changes and modifications may be made in the disclosed apparatus Without departing from the spirit of the present invention, the invention is, therefore, intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a continuous yarn-winding apparatus including a pair of windup chucks cantilevered from opposite ends of a rotatably mounted pivot arm, at least one yarn package rotatably supported on each of the windup chucks, a drive roll positioned to contact and form a nip with a yarn package on the first chuck in winding position while the second chuck is in dofiing position remote from the drive roll, yarn forwarding means for receiving the yarn and forwarding it to said nip and thence onto the yarn package on the first chuck until it is a completed package, whereupon, by rotation of the pivot arm, the second chuck and yarn package thereon can be brought into winding position and the first chuck and completed yarn package thereon can be simultaneously removed to dofiing position, traverse guide means for directing the yarn onto the package on the chuck in windup position,

and centering guide means positioned ahead of the traverse guide means adapted to direct the yarn to the approximate center of the yarn package on the chuck in windup position when the yarn is released from the traverse guide means; the improvement which comprises, in combination, yarn engaging means positioned between the centering guide means and the traverse guide means and biased toward a rest position out of contact with the yarn but adapted to be moved into yarn engaging position in which the yarn engaging means contacts the yarn and releases it from the traverse guide, actuating means for moving the yarn engaging means against the bias from rest position to yarn engaging position, Synchronizing means for synchronizing the transfer of the first chuck and completed yarn package thereon from winding to dofiing position with activation of said actuation means, and timing means for controlling the duration of time in which said yarn engaging means is maintained in said yarn engaging position.

2. In a process for continuously winding a yarn onto yarn support means including the steps of winding said yarn in a manner controlled by traverse guide means onto a first yarn support means located in a windup position, then simultaneously removing said first yarn support means from said windup position and bringing a second yarn support means into said windup position, breaking said yarn and engaging the loose leading end of said broken yarn with said second yarn support means, then resuming Winding said yarn on said second support means in a manner controlled by said traverse guide means, the improvement which comprises, in combination, releasing said yarn from the control of said traverse guide means as soon as said second yarn support means is brought into said windup position, maintaining said yarn in such a position with respect to said traverse guide means for a predetermined relatively short period of time, guiding the yarn during said short period of time to the center of said second support means and winding said yarn until a narrow band of yarn is formed on said second support means and said loose leading end is completely covered, and thereafter returning said yarn to said traverse guide means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,062,481 11/1962 High et a1. 3,109,602 11/1963 Smith 24218 STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A CONTINUOUS YARN-WINDING APPARATUS INCLUDING A PAIR OF WINDUP CHUCKS CANTILVERED FROM OPPOSITE ENDS OF A ROTATABLY MOUNTED PIVOT ARM, AT LEAST ONE YARN PACKAGE ROTATABLY SUPPORTED ON EACH OF THE WINDUP CHUCKS, A DRIVE ROLL POSITIONED TO CONTACT AND FORM A NIP WITH A YARN PACKAGE ON THE FIRST CHUCK IN WINDING POSITION WHILE THE SECOND CHUCK IS IN DOFFING POSITION REMOTE FROM THE DRIVE ROLL, YARN FORWARDING MEANS FOR RECEIVING THE YARN AND FORWARDING IT TO SAID NIP AND THENCE ONTO THE YARN PACKAGE ON THE FIRST CHUCK UNTIL IT IS A COMPLETED PACKAGE, WHEREUPON, BY ROTATION OF THE PIVOT ARM, THE SECOND CHUCK AND YARN PACKAGE THEREON CAN BE BROUGHT INTO WINDING POSITION AND THE FIRST CHUCK AND COMPLETED YARN PACKAGE THEREON CAN BE SIMULTANEOUSLY REMOVED TO DOFFING POSITION, TRAVERSE GUIDE MEANS FOR DIRECTING THE YARN ONTO THE PACKAGE ON THE CHUCK IN WINDUP POSITION, AND CENTERING GUIDE MEANS POSITIONED AHEAD OF THE TRAVERSE GUIDE MEANS ADAPTED TO DIRECT THE YARN TO THE APPROXIMATE CENTER OF THE YARN PACKAGE ON THE CHUCK IN WINDUP POSITION WHEN THE YARN IS RELEASED FROM THE TRAVERSE GUIDE MEANS; THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES, IN COMBINATION, YARN ENGAGING MEANS POSITIONED BETWEEN THE CENTERING GUIDE MEANS AND THE TRAVERSE GUIDE MEANS AND BIASED TOWARD A REST POSITION OUT OF CONTACT WITH THE YARN BUT ADAPTED TO BE MOVED INTO YARN ENGAGING POSITION IN WHICH THE YARN ENGAGDING MEANS CONTACTS THE YARN AND RELEASES IT FROM THE TRAVERSE GUIDE, ACTUATING MEANS FOR MOVING THE YARN ENGAGING MEANS AGAINST THE BIAS FROM REST POSITION TO YARN ENGAGING POSITION, SYNCHRONIZING MEANS FOR SYNCHRONIZING THE TRANSFER OF THE FIRST CHUCK AND COMPLETED YARN PACKAGE THEREON FROM WINDING TO DOFFING POSITION WITH ACTIVATION OF SAID ACTUATION MEANS, AND TIMING MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE DURATION OF TIME IN WHICH SAID YARN ENGAGING MEANS IS MAINTAINED IN SAID YARN ENGAGING POSITION. 